Remembering Eric Carmen
• Eric Carmen, whose voice first exploded onto Top 40 radio in 1972 with the power pop anthem, “Go All The Way” by his band, the Raspberries, before going on to solo success, has died at the age of 74.
The news of Carmen’s death was confirmed by his wife, Amy on Carmen’s website: “It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen. Our sweet, loving and talented Eric passed away in his sleep, over the weekend. It brought him great joy to know, that for decades, his music touched so many and will be his lasting legacy. Please respect the family’s privacy as we mourn our tremendous loss.”
As Rolling Stone reports, Cleveland native Carmen formed the Raspberries in 1970, and the group found immediate success with their breakout hit, “Go All the Way,” which went Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was followed by well received, but less commercially successful singles, “I Wanna Be With You,” “Tonight,” and “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record).”
After the group disbanded in the mid-’70s, Carmen launched his solo career with his 1975 self-titled debut album and found international recognition with the lead single, “All By Myself,” which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. His follow-up single, “Never Gonna Fall in Love Again,” hit No. 11.
More than a decade later, Carmen would appear on the charts again with “Hungry Eyes” for the 1987 film Dirty Dancing. Written by John DeNicola and Franke Previte, and catapulted by the massive popularity of the film, peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100. Carmen’s follow-up, “Make Me Lose Control,” co-written by Dean Pitchford, reached No. 3.
In 2004, the original members of the Raspberries — Carmen, guitarist Wally Bryson, bassist David Smalley, and drummer Jim Bonfanti — reunited at the House of Blues’ opening in Cleveland. “It went absolutely beautifully,” said Carmen of the group’s experimental reunion gig. “We sold the date out in about four minutes, and everybody who was there had a phenomenal time.” The reunion would lead to a series of well-received gigs together at House of Blues venues across the U.S.
